This post came about as I was thinking about how I wanted to promote my upcoming novel release. My newest book is my first book in a paranormal series. The conversation that I found myself keep having was do I only market to people that read that genre or do I market to people outside of it. It was almost as if the people that I were talking to didn't beleive that you could do both. With that thought in mind I asked authors on my social media sites to recommend one of their books using 15 words of less. It's not as easy as it sounds but it did get authors thinking about the most important things you want readers to know. The whole reason that I started a book blog was because I love everything literaure related. Yeah I have a favorite genre but I also like wearing ball gowns that doesn't mean that I don't look fabulous in a pair of skinny jeans.

For me writing is something that I have to do. I write when I can't get something out my head or need to sort out my emotions. A person can be a writer without being an author but when you decide that you want to put your work out there for others you are also deciding that you need readers. Readers don't just want to be told to read a book. They want to know why they should read it. Every part of a book is important from the title to the synopsis but an author should be able to recommend a book to someone using a little words so that it intrigues the people that don't know about them and their work. Tell them the meaning of the story and what it has to offer that's different from all the other books out there. So back to the book recommendations using less than 15 words and why I think it's important. Lets say we are at a book fair and a reader is trying to visit as many booths as possible. I have been there BookCon being a great example. I'll use my first book as an example. A reader comes to my booth and asks what's Love's Moodswings about:

Love's Moodswings is a combination of 3 short stories. Each story focuses on a different aspect of love. The first story is about a father's love for his daughter. The second story is about two sisters who love differently, practical vs passion. The last story is a good old fashion romance.

While that isn't an overly detailed information drop for someone trying to visit as many different booths as possible I could have lost their interest before I could even gain it. On the flip side it they have the time grabbing their attention quickly will prompt them to ask more questions and allow you to be detailed while catering to them. Instead when asked what the book was about I could have said Love's Mooswings is more than a romance, it's a unbreakable emotional connection between people. With that sentence I have let readers know that the book isn't just another romance it's going to be about the connection between characters. With that in mind I know the direction I want to take when I promote my new book. I'm going to market to my demograpic while having a clear meaning that can appeal to everyone.

What do you as a reader like or dislike when people are promoting their books?